Suspect in 'very violent' bank robbery held without bond

Woman and accomplice, dressed as nuns, made off with $120,000, authorities say

July 08, 2011|By Annie Sweeney, Tribune reporter

At just 23, she has already been charged with two federal crimes: embezzling more than $20,000 from one bank and then disguising herself in a nun costume to violently take over a second bank.

But according to her defense attorney, Chicagoan Navahcia Edwards is also a striving young woman with a 3.7 GPA in college and no criminal history. She is gentle and loving with the extended family who watches over her, her attorney said.

That portrait was offered Thursday at a detention hearing at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in which her attorney argued that Edwards should be released on electric home monitoring on the latest allegations against her: that she and an accomplice stormed and robbed a Palos Heights bank wearing distorted, scary masks and nuns' outfits, similar to those featured in the movie "The Town."

But before a government prosecutor could counter that argument with her description of the "very violent" video of the May 29 robbery at a TCF bank, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Mason politely interrupted.

"With all due respect, I've seen the complaint," he said, referring to the written document outlining the charges against Edwards. "And it was very violent."

Minutes later, Mason ordered Edwards held without bond, calling her a danger to the community.

In the video, Edwards' accomplice, who has not been charged, holds a gun to one teller's head as Edwards, who also is armed, allegedly forces another teller to take her into a vault, screaming at the teller to open the doors. Edwards and her cohort made off with some $120,000, according to authorities.

At the time of the robbery, Edwards had already allegedly embezzled about $20,000 from a Chase bank she had worked at earlier this year, authorities said. She had also allegedly confessed to bank officials that she took the money. She was named in a federal complaint for the theft last month.

Two weeks before she allegedly robbed the TCF bank, Edwards called Chase officials to tell them she believed she would be able to return the money she allegedly stole soon, authorities said. She also allegedly left a trail of paper evidence behind about the TCF heist, purchasing the nun costumes and zip ties used in the robbery in her own name, authorities said.

Her boyfriend also was captured on video scoping out the TCF bank the day of the robbery, according to the federal complaint.

While Edwards' defense attorney said Edwards would be under the care of her aunts and that she would "prove herself" to the court if granted the monitoring, prosecutors accused Edwards of not being truthful in some of her statements to authorities and emphasized how brazen the bank robbery was in arguing that Edwards be detained.

"She is not afraid to act violently." Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Zell said, adding that the handguns used in the robbery have not been found.

Edwards appeared calm in court, often shaking her head at the government's characterization of her and at, one point, straightening the red prisoner's uniform she wore.